DOT Revisits CAFÉ Standards for Model Year 2022-2025

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it will review the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards for model year 2022-2025 cars and light trucks, marking yet another move by the Trump Administration to roll back environmental policies established by the Obama Administration.

In a Federal Register notice published today, NHTSA said it will take public comment on what information to consider when preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the next phase of CAFÉ standards. Comments are due 30 days from today, after which NHTSA said it will prepare the EIS and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the next round of CAFÉ standards.

In January the Obama Administration said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would leave its greenhouse gas standards for 2022-2025 vehicles in place. Automakers, however, have urged the Trump Administration to revisit those standards.

NHTSA said it plans to consider eight possible CAFÉ standards. One option would freeze fleetwide average fuel economy at 2021 levels rather than increase them every year through 2025. Current targets call for 2021 models to average 41 miles per gallon and 2025 models to average 49.7 miles per gallon.

Any changes to the CAFÉ standards are likely to be challenged in court.

Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman

Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman develops and executes communications strategies to advance NATSO’s public relations and advocacy goals. Tiffany also develops and oversees partnerships related to the NATSO Foundation’s public outreach initiatives. Tiffany lives in the D.C. metro area with her husband and their two sons.More